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AFC Leopards coach Tomas Trucha has revealed why he feels struggling Shabana FC will not be relegated from the Football Kenyan Federation (FKF) Premier League.

Tore Bobe have endured a worst run in the top-flight since earning promotion and currently sit second from the bottom of the 18-team table with 10 matches to conclude the season.

On Sunday, Shabana’s quest to win silverware and a ticket to continental football was thwarted after losing 1-0 against AFC Leopards in the Round of 16 fixture at Mamboleo Stadium in Kisumu.

Speaking after the game, Trucha admitted he would be surprised to see Shabana relegated to the lower division considering how they troubled his side in the domestic competition fixture.

“I have a lot of respect for Shabana, they are a good team and they have a good coach, they gave us a tough game. It was not easy against them’ they are a formidable side and I will be surprised if they end up being relegated,” said the Belgian tactician.

“Even before the game, I had warned my players not to underrate them (Shabana). I knew it was not going to be easy, I watched them against KCB (in the 3-2 league defeat), so I was clear of what to expect, they can be a difficult side to beat because of the way they play.”

On the goal that ended Shabana’s dream in the domestic cup, Trucha said: “We had to be patient, we had to play and try not to concede, try to keep a clean sheet, but even after we scored, it was still a tight and open game, so we had to keep digging in but 1-0 is a good result and we now shift focus onto the next game.”

Shabana will begin their quest to keep their status in the league with a fixture against Posta Rangers at Homa Bay Stadium on Saturday. They have so far bagged 18 points from 24 matches, accumulated from four wins, six draws and 14 defeats.